Harriet Potter and the Philosopher's stone
by hufflepuff4ever93
Summary: Harriet Potter was strange, and in more ways than one. Nearly ten years had passed since Petunia and Vernon Dursley had found the girl on their doorstep. Ten years, and nobody had noticed that the strange Harriet Potter was deaf. (Rated T to be safe)
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys! This is a start to my new story! Since I do not have first hand knowledge of being deaf, nor do I know anyone who is deaf, I would love it if anyone could help me on the general statistics of it, any help or insight is appreciated!**

Harriet Potter and the Philosopher's stone:

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of Number 4 privet drive were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you would expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold such nonsense. The same could not be said for their niece, Harriet Lily Potter. Nearly ten years had passed since they had found the girl on their doorstep. Ten years, and nobody had noticed that the strange Harriet Potter was deaf.

She was, of course very good at hiding this fact, and hadn't always been deaf. No, this had occurred during one overly rousing game of "Harry Hunting", created by her oaf of a cousin, Dudley. It had happened when she was just eight years old. Dudley and his friend Piers surrounded her. Dudley had blamed her for not getting him good enough marks on his previous homework assignment. They, of course, hadn't known it was because she had such a bad fever, that she was barely able to get all of her own personal work done for the day. Harry didn't actually remember much of the beating in particular, all she remembered was waking up. The next morning when she awoke, she hadn't been able to hear anything other than very low baritones, and not the normal kind of hearing, only vibrations, no actual words could be distinguished.

Harriet had spent the past three years understanding how to get about with her life, without her hearing. She could now read lips and when she was barefoot, was able to feel the vibrations of people's voices and other things around her. She was also able to understand people's body language as well. All of this was very impressive for her, as Harry's eyesight was almost worse than an impaired naked mole rat's without her very old, very taped up glasses that were perched on the tip of her nose.

Now, being deaf wasn't the only thing strange about Harriet. She was very small for her age, with ridiculously short messy black hair with bangs that Aunt Petunia forced her to keep, as Aunt Petunia, had said on many occasions, that Harriet wasn't very pretty and may as well look like a boy to save her embarrassment, green eyes, knobby knees, and the most curious lightning shaped scar on her forehead, but this was not even the most abnormal thing about her. Recently, Harriet had been getting messages from owls, messages that her aunt and uncle had refused to let her read, even though each message had the direct location she had slept the night before. Whether it be the cupboard under the stairs, Dudley's second bedroom, the room number of the hotel they stayed the previous night, or even the floor where she was currently in a very small shack, on a very small island, as the letter the great hulk of a man had given her said. Harry loved the man, after she had gotten over his giantness. He had such a low voice she could actually hear him, but not in the traditional sense of the word. His voice was so low that she could hear a strange low voice, but with no actual semblance of words. He had fed her, said nothing about the giant clothes from Dudley she had to wear, and even given Dudley a tail! The man, Hagrid, had told her she was a witch. She had told him back, rather aghast, that, that was a horrible thing to say to a person. The man had explained that it wasn't an insult, rather that there were witches and wizards and magic was real. Harriet, was of course skeptical, but she agreed, mainly because Aunt Petunia had told her, in a fit of rage that her parents had been magical, along with a few other things she couldn't quite make out, but Hagrid had helped clarify a few facts. Her parents had not been drunks, killed in a car crash, but some of the best people Hagrid had ever known. Hagrid had also told her that she looked exactly like her Mum, but with her Dad's unruly hair. Just for that, Harriet would have gone anywhere in the world with Hagrid.

Harriet had spent a very pleasant day in Diagon Alley with Hagrid. Diagon Alley was a magical shopping had entered through The Leaky Cauldron, where everyone had wanted to shake her hand for some strange reason. Harriet reasoned to herself that they were probably all very good friends of Hagrid, and wanted to make her feel welcome. Diagon Alley had many things. It had bookshops all with magical books and even moving pictures within the books! There was a goblin run bank called Gringotts where Harriet had found out that she was, not rich persey, but very well off, and Hagrid had taken out a mysterious object out of vault 713. There were also potion shops with solid gold cauldrons! Harriet had nearly bought one, but Hagrid had dissuaded her from getting it, telling her that many different potions needed different properties in a cauldron for them to work properly, so she bought the pewter cauldron like the list said. A broom shop with the newest version of broom called the Nimbus 2000 that Harriet thought was amazing, although she wasn't sure how good at flying she would actually be. There was a wand shop, where she had gotten a wand, holly and phoenix feather, Mr. Olivander had told her that "He who must not be named" had the same core. She wasn't sure who He Who must not be Named was even, but since Mr. Ollivander had been very old, she had assumed he must be slightly ill. Finally there was a magical clothes store called Madam Malkins, where Harriet met a pale haired boy that reminded her very much of Dudley. The boy had been very rude, asking about her parents, talking obnoxiously about getting on the "quid itch team" (She wasn't quite sure what muggle currency and having a possible rash had to do with a team in the magical world) and it being a crime if he didn't. The boy also said something about "slithering" and someone's house called "uffle puff" (Whatever that meant). Harriet had asked Hagrid about it, but she still didn't quite understand it all. No offense to Hagrid, as she already adored the great hulk of a man, but he could be very hard to understand with that beard covering his mouth, even with being able to hear his low rumbling voice.

Harriet was at kings cross after being rudely deposited there by the Dursleys, as the ticket for the Hogwarts express had said it left on Platform 9 and ¾'s. Vernon had taken her to the place between Platform's nine and ten then left with Petunia and Dudley howling in laughter, trailing after him. She was panicking slightly. Harriet had been praying that this hadn't been a joke, but now she wasn't so sure if it was real. Harriet was looking around frantically for anyone in magical uniforms, staring at everyone's mouths to see if they said they word "muggle" or anything else she could find. After five minutes of scouring the crowds, she found a group of redheads, with the main women in the brood, calling out about muggles. Harriet had nearly missed the woman saying the word, but had just caught on in time. After that, the only girl of the group called out to who Harriet could only assume was her mother, that the platform was 9 and ¾ . She had approached them and asked for their help. The eldest woman had been very kind and told her how to get onto the platform, the twins had helped her move her trunk, and had been surprised, but happy when they learned that she was not a he and Harriet Potter. Finally, Harriet was off on an adventure, and one without Dudley!.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

Harriet looked up at the knocking at the door. The youngest red haired boy was looking at her in her compartment. Harriet prepared to read his lips.

"Is anyone sitting here? Everywhere else is full." Harry shook her head.

"No, come on in." Ron grinned, and dropped down in the seat opposite of her, and extended his hand to her.

"I'm Ron, Ron Weasley." Harry grinned and shook his hand in return.

"Nice to meet you Ron, I'm Harriet Potter." Ron dropped his hand and stared at her in shock.

"So it's true then!" Harriet blushed a bit, and Ron had the grace to look abashed. "Sorry, it's just that the twins, well they joke a lot, they like to trick me sometimes." Harry smiled a bit. This conversation wasn't going awfully. Ron seemed like a nice enough bloke, just a bit senseless sometimes. He also formed his words very well, Harriet had no trouble reading his lips at all.

"Don't worry about it. Yeah, I'm her, I mean, I'm me." Ron's eyes widened.

" Really? Do you have still have the scar? Er, do you mind if I see it?" Harry cringed slightly. It seemed like the scar she used to love so much for being different might end up being something she hates.

"Yeah, I have it, and I guess?" with that Harry lifted her thin hand to her forehead and brushed her bangs away. Ron's eyes widened more if that was at all possible.

"Wicked!" He breathed. Harry pushed her fringe back down, smiling slightly. An idea hit her.

"Er, your mum and brothers thought I was a bloke because of my hair, you don't happen to know any hair growth spells yet, do you?" Harry asked. She didn't normally think that she was very vain, but no one wanted to hear that they looked like a boy, unless they were one of course. Ron blushed.

"No, and sorry about that, I kind of thought you were a bloke too." Harry blushed again.

"Nah, it's good. My Aunt decided that cutting my hair at a shop was too expensive, so she tried her hand at it, as you can tell, it didn't go so well." This, of course, was not completely a lie, merely a bit misleading, just so Ron wouldn't think that she was too strange. Just then, the trolley went by. Harriet bought quite a bit of candy, Ron however, bought nothing. Harry noticed this, and offered him a few pasties in return for the cornish beef sandwiches, brightly declaring that her aunt never spoiled her with home made food, and that she was rather fond of cornish beef. She also mentioned that she had never had much money until she came to the wizarding world, which seemed to make Ron's ears burn a little less. For the rest of the train ride they ate almost all of the candy, until a sweet, round faced boy came into their compartment, looking worried and close to tears.

"Have either of you seen a toad?" Ron and Harry both shook their heads. The boy looked distraught and wailed

"I've lost him!" Harry looked awkwardly at Ron and shrugged.

"Er, you could ask an older student?" the boy nodded and left the compartment. No more than five minutes after the boy had left, a girl with bushy hair entered their compartment.

"Have either of you seen a toad? A boy named Neville has lost one. Oh? Were you a bout to do magic? I've tried only a few charms so far, but all of them have seemed to work, Oh, I'm Hermione Granger by the way." She said all of this very fast, so fast that Harry hadn't been able to understand most of it. All she had gotten was that this girl's name was Hermione Granger, and that she was looking for the toad. After she had insulted Ron, repaired her glasses, and then left, Harry wasn't sure what to make of the rather bossy girl.

"Fred gave me that spell, he probably knew it was a fake." Ron told Harry after Hermione had left. Harry had agreed and gave into the terrifyingness of _bertie botts every flavour beans_. Just after Harry had been brave enough to nibble on the one that ron had sworn was a corpse which was actually pepper, the pale faced boy from Madam Malkins had intruded on them with two verifiable boulders of boys.

"Has anybody seen Harriet Potter yet- Oh, its you." The boy drawled as he noticed Harriet then his eyes alighted on Ron. "and a Weasley, how quaint. My father says that you lot are the worst kind of wizards around" both Ron and Harry had stiffened as the boy insulted Ron's family. Harry laid a hand on Ron's arm and stood up.

"His family sounds a lot better than someone's family who seems to only gossip and complain about how much better they are than the rest of us." The boy flushed a pale pink and retorted angrily.

"Oh? And I suppose that your lot must all be muggles, making you a mudblood if you don't know your betters then?" Ron jumped up angrily and swore at him angrily. Harriet once again pulled Ron back and replied cooly.

"Sorry, if that was meant to insult me, I dunno what you're on about, I've been called much worse than that, as my parents were both magical as far as I know. You might know them actually. Lily and James Potter." Harriet was rather proud of how well she had stood up to this boy so far. He reminded her of Dudley in the worst way possible. Malfoy paused and paled.

"You, but you're a boy!" one of the rocks behind him grunted, or at least, Harriet thought that was what he said. The boy's lips had barely moved so it was fairly hard for her to interpret. Harriet felt a wave of anger rise in her.

"Me? a boy? Thanks very much for the assumption! Just because of a bloody haircut and some old clothes, it shouldn't make me a different gender all together!" Harry agrivatedly ran a hand through her hair. All three of the boy's paled further when they noticed her scar. Harry blanched and quickly flattened her bangs back on top of the scar. She was afraid that her scar that she had loved very much from her childhood, was going to become the bane of her existence.

"Get out." she told the three of them flatly, and slammed the door in their faces. The shock on the three boys faces sent Ron onto the floor in his laughter.

"Mate, I think that we'll be the best of friends." Harry smiled softly. Friends, she liked that.

They then departed the train and followed Hagrid to the castle. When Harry had seen Hagrid, she gave him a bright smile and waved rather enthusiastically, Hagrid had waved back with an "Alright Harry?". Harry had nodded in surprise. Not many adults actually cared whether or not she was alright. Harry, Ron, and Neville all boarded a boat together.

All of the first years waited in nervous anticipation as the very stern looking professor McGonagall gave them a welcoming speech, unfortunately Harriet missed the majority of it, since Malfoy's two lackeys both stood directly in front of her. Harry nervously flattened her hair down, even though she knew it was pointless. Ron nudged her gently in the side to get her moving into the line the first years were forming, and they entered the great hall.

…..


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3.

The great hall was beautiful. There was no other word for it. The night sky looked down on them as candles floated in the midst of all of it. Harriet stared up at it in awe and then looked at Ron, who wasn't looking at the sky, rather the tables, tables without any food.. Harry grinned, Ron looked so forlorn at the very empty table tops. She had learned that Ron loved food more than anything else as they had been on the train. As they approached the front of the Great Hall, Harriet noticed that in the middle of the floor, there was an old stool with an ordinary looking hat. Harriet wondered at the hat, and why it was there. Was this some sort of ritual? Then the hat opened at the rim and it started to sing.

_"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_if you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folks use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

Everyone clapped and then McGonagall started calling out names.

"Abbott, Hannah."Harry watched as the hat was perched on the blondes hair, then called out;

"HUFFLEPUFF!" Harry froze as she realized that the hat was going to call out the house names. Harriet wouldn't be able to hear what her house was! Harry looked around frantically for some sort of cue she could use. She panicked for the next several names.

"Granger, Hermione" practically ran to the hat and jammed it on her head. The hat paused for a moment longer than the one before her, then it called out;

"GRYFFINDOR!" Hermione hurriedly took the hat off and practically ran to join the red table that cheered the most, whereas the rest of the tables clapped politely.

"Malfoy, Draco" Was sorted into "SLYTHERIN!" Harriet's eyes were drawn to the table that burst into applause with raucous cheers. Harriet smiled, she had a plan.

Before Harriet was called out, two twins were called, where one went to Ravenclaw, and the other, Gryffindor. Finally the stern looking woman called out her name.

"Potter, Harriet." Harry walked up to the stool on shaky legs and sat down. The hat was pushed onto her head and the view of the great hall disappeared from her sight.

_Hmm, difficult. Very difficult. But what's this?_

Harry nearly let out a shriek at the noise. She hadn't actually heard anything, but slight buzzes when people talked for three years, and now, some hat was talking to her?

"How can I hear you?" she whispered. The hat chuckled in her head

_Magic, what else Miss Potter?. Now, if you would allow me to continue your sorting._ At Harriets slight nod, the hat continued.

_Plenty of courage I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh yes. And a thirst to prove yourself. But where to put you? _Harriet shrugged. She didn't really know about the houses, Hagrid tried to explain them to her, but she hadn't really understood them.

_Well, You could be great you know. Ans Slytherin could help you on your way to greatness, there's no doubt about that. _Harry thought about it for a moment. _Do I want to be great? _Harry decided and whispered her answer to the hat.

"I don't really want to be great though, I just want to be me."

_Hmm, Well, if you're sure. Not Slytherin then. Ravenclaw is not for you, you have a thirst to prove yourself, but no true thirst for knowledge. _Harriet felt a bit put out at that, she could be smart if she wanted to be. The hat continued.

_You could do well in Hufflepuff, make good friends, however, you will not thrive. _

_Better be "GRYFFINDOR!" _Harriet smiled, but before Harriet took the hat off, it told her;

_Be sure to go to Madame Pomfrey about that hearing problem, and good luck Miss Potter._ Harriet nodded politely to the hat and went to the table roaring in delight. Two redheaded twins were shouting something undistinguishable, but she shrugged it off. She sat next to an older red head with horn rimmed glasses and who looked very distinguishable who shook her hand politely. She watched the sorting for, in which she cheered uproariously for Ron when he got into Gryffindor as well. When the sorting had finished, Dumbledore stood up, he was beaming and opened his arms widely. Harriet focused on the man as he began to speak

"Welcome, Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our Banquet, I would like to say a few words, and here they are. Nitwit! Oddment! Blubber! Tweak!" Harry blinked. Did she interpret that right? She looked around and Ron looked just as confused as she felt. Feeling reassured, she asked Percy, who she had learnt was Ron's older brother (One of six boys! What she wouldn't give to have six wizard brothers!)

"Is he- a bit mad?" She felt very awkward in asking the older boy this, but she supposed it had to be done.

"Mad? He's a genius! Best wizard in the world, but, yes, he is a bit mad. Potatoes Harriet?" Percy answered airily. Harriet took the potatoes gratefully, but then her mouth fell open. The entire hall was filled with all kinds of food, more than Harry had ever seen, and it had all appeared as though out of thin air, and it must have. The Dursley's had hated Harriet and while she wouldn't say that they had starved her constantly, they had never exactly given her enough to eat. She piled her plate with a little bit of everything, except for the peppermints. She absolutely hated peppermints, and consequently it was the only sweet she had ever been given from the Dursley's. She had accidentally ignored a ghost- Sir Nicolas Mimsey de Porpington, who Ron had called nearly headless nick, which was apparently a sore spot for the man-er ghost. Harry didn't blame him, she had been called some rather nasty names by Dudley. Harry was starting to feel very warm and sleepy looked up at the high table again. Her friend Hagrid was drinking from a goblet. The austere professor McGonagall was talking to Dumbledore, and Professor Quirell, the odd shaking man she had met in diagon alley was talking to a hook nosed man with sallow skin and greasy black hair. Suddenly the hook nosed man looked up from his conversation and stared directly at Harriet. A flash of sharp, hot pain shot across Harriet's forehead. She clapped a hand against her head and looked down with soft sound of pain. The pain left as suddenly as it had occurred, but what unsettled her more than anything was the uncannily similar expression the greasy haired professor had to her aunt whenever Harry did anything remotely other than what was asked of her. The look was a deep level of loathing.

"Er, who's the professor talking to Professor Quirrel, Percy?"

"Oh, met Professor Quirrel already have you? That's Professor Snape, he teaches potions, but he doesn't want to-everyone knows he's after Quirrel's job. Knows an awful lot about dark arts, Snape." Harry looked at Snape and looked back down at her lap. Finally the last of the desserts disappeared. Professor Dumbledore got back to his feet and the hall fell silent.

""Ahem - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you."

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors."

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch."

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death." Harry looked around at that, had she got that last sentence right? Very few people laughed.

"He's not serious is he?" She asked Percy softly. Percy frowned.

"Must be. It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere- the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words. This made Harry very happy, she could actually sing along

"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!" And the school bellowed:

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot." The entire hall finished at different times, the last two she could tell were singing were the Weasley twins, Rons other brother's that were currently in school. Dumbledore wiped his eyes

"Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!" Percy led the first years up to the Gryffindor common room, where he directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. There Harry and Ron said goodnight to each other. Harry then followed Hermione up a spiral staircase- obviously in one of the towers. Their dormitory was beautiful- four four poster beds with deep red velvet curtains. Harriet waited politely at the edge of the room until the other three decided on their beds, Lavender and Pavarti were chattering excitedly, while Hermione was looking around in wonder. Harry smiled at her roomates and asked Hermione if she had had any of that treacle tart, while getting into bed. She then drifted off to sleep.


End file.
